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CNN turns 30

In the age of sensationalism and crazy news commentators, CNN has maintained it’s stance as being a real news source. Everytime they talk about something political, they have both Republican and Democratic strategists, something that I have yet seen on Fox News or MSNBC. Even though there are many cable news networks now, CNN is the only one that can say it was the first.

On June 1st, 1980, CNN launched with everybody wondering if the network will survive. There was nothing like it on TV and even more surprisingly, on cable. It also had a perfect timing to premiere. Just six months after it launched, it’s first big news story came, which put CNN on the map. English singer-songwriter John Lennon from The Beatles, was shot and killed outside of his New York apartment. People immediately went to CNN for the latest developements on his death and from then on, news was changed forever.

You didn’t have to wait for the evening news on CBS, NBC, or ABC to be up to date. You just switch to CNN and you can get the news immediately, when you want.

A lot of people don’t know how important this is in television history because CNN isn’t the top-rated news channel it used to be, but they set the standard. If CNN didn’t launch, no other media mogul would’ve taken the risk of launching a news channel, and there would be no Fox News Channel or MSNBC as well.

I think once we have a more educated public, and entertainment stories won’t get more press than stories on the war, CNN will be back on top. The thing is, this might not happen anytime soon. All i can do now is celebrate the birthday of the Turner Broadcasting Company’s Cable News Network.